To enjoy more of the foods I love, I made some substitutions and came up with a few strategies. Maybe you’ll find a few to adopt. Find a way to keep foods you love in your diet.
- Water, just water all the time. Ice makes it better. Our livers desperately need hydration.
- I eat smaller serving sizes. This is also great for reducing acid reflux.
- Use low-calorie spread instead of butter.
- Use real honey and yellow mustard instead of salad dressing.
- Low-calorie unsweetened, vanilla Almond milk instead of 2% milk. 30 calories vs. 206 calories
- Less cereal and more milk, also good for reducing acid reflux.
- Low-fat options for yogurt and cheese
- Fresh ground Peanut Butter without additives is a healthy fat. Fresh ground has fewer calories than prepacked jars. My grocery store has a machine that dispenses fresh ground - and it’s cheaper. I eat it with honey.
- I eat open-faced sandwiches or just eat the ingredients of a sandwich without bread.
- For hamburgers, I cut the bun, so it is thinner. I make a thin homemade patty with very lean meat, then pile it with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion. I use mustard and ketchup and little or no mayo.
- If I do use mayo, I use 1 teaspoon instead of 1 tablespoon.
- Eat lots of whole fruit with the peeling. This helps the liver do its job.
- I eat when I first feel hungry. If I allow myself to get really hungry, I accept that I’ll want to eat more, but if I eat what is planned and wait 20 minutes, I might be full. If not, I drink more water, or milk with honey or more fruits and vegetables.
- At dinner, half of my plate is simple fruit and vegetables, seasoned, but without sauce.
- With high calorie dishes like pizza, I add extra seasoning like garlic to make it more satisfying, eat a small portion, and fill up on vegetables and fruits.
- Instead of garlic bread, I have 45 calorie bread with a thin spread of olive oil and garlic salt.
- Instead of battered and fried chicken, I have grilled. This is also a good option when eating out.
- I leave cheese off sandwiches and salads and add more vegetables.
- I push back breakfast by hydrating with water first thing in the morning.
- I remind myself to drink more water at the top of the hour. I keep a water bottle near my desk, in my car, in my backpack, so I don’t go long stretches without drinking.
- When traveling, I pack ice water and plan to eat the ice. I bag up small munchies like pretzels, grapes, and baby carrots.
- I’m always searching for the best fruit and vegetables. I love Sweet Bee apples, Jon Gold apples, ripe yellow pears, honey dew that’s yellow with a few brown specs, sweet petite carrots, broccoli and cauliflower without blemishes, and firm red pepper.
- I take notes so I can remember what I liked and didn’t like. When I see a good idea when I’m away from home, I make a note on my phone.
- Get plenty of sleep. I snack to stay alert which works in the moment but then makes me feel sleepier.
- Eat slowly and enjoy relaxed conversations.
- I aim for 6000 steps a day. If I’m behind, I go for a walk or if the weather is bad, I walk around a store. Even tidying up can add an impressive number of steps. I make a habit of parking far away.
- Find a way to eat honey daily. It satisfies a nagging hunger. Honey and molasses make a great combination in oatmeal. The honey makes it sweet, and molasses gives it a brown sugar flavor. Both honey and molasses are good for the liver.
- All desserts are small and eaten slowly with intention. Eating full servings of sweets always makes me feel sluggish. A small dessert doesn’t and savoring each bite is just as satisfying as eating a large dessert.
- When baking sweets, I break one cookie into 12 tiny bits. As I prepare the whole batch, I’ll savor one tiny bit at a time. After having the taste in my mouth for the whole time, I feel satisfied without a headache or needing a nap.
- Another strategy for eating during special events is to mentally tally up the value of each option. Then take what you love the most. For example, skip the roll in favor of a cream puff.
- I have a vegetable appetizer while I’m cooking dinner. I have cut cucumbers, carrots or celery, or munch on ice and drink water. This keeps me from snacking on high calorie foods.
- When I open a bag of carrots, I divide the remainder of the bag into potion size sandwich bags. I do the same with pretzels and nuts.
- I love sweet drinks, but honey gets diluted in a drink or cereal, and I can barely taste it. Instead of stirring tablespoons of honey into a drink like hot chocolate or a food like cereal and milk, I put a tiny amount, ½ teaspoon, on a separate spoon and enjoy it alongside the drink or cereal. Then the honey is full strength on my taste buds and makes the drink or cereal taste very sweet.
- I put my meals into my calendar and repeat them week to week. I can eat whatever I choose, but I like having something already planned that fits my calorie goals.
- If I find myself eating because I’m bored or stressed, I take deep breaths, stretch, go for a walk, or listen to something uplifting. I might Google self-talk statements for my particular stress. I practice 5-4-3-2-1
- I name five things I see, four things I touch, three I hear, two I smell, and one I taste.
- I remove myself from the temptation of food until I feel more in control.
- I look for books at the library for fresh new food ideas. The SkinnyTaste series of books by Gina Homolka contains loads of recipes based on 1500 calories a day.
- I go without solid food for a 24-hour period, once a month. That helps knock off a pound – or two, and it resets my body's rhythms. This Fast also reminds me that being hungry isn’t a crisis. I’m not going to starve if I go for a little while without something to eat. I can relax and still be patient, even if I feel a little hungry.
- Take vitamins daily. When your food intake is restricted, you will need supplements to keep yourself healthy. I take vitamins twice, the day after I fast.
- When a day includes indulgences, I balance the day by having a small amount of whole
